Protector unit



DCC. 3, 1940. 1 s- BAKER PROTECTOR UNIT Original Filed Nov. 14, 19258 2 Sheets-Sheet l NIMH Dec. 3, 1940. J s. BAKER 2,223,540

PRQTECTOR UNIT Original Filed Nov. 14, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROTECTOR UNIT John S. Baker, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Cook Electric Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois 15 Claims.

This invention relates to protector units for use in telephone and other similar systems.

This invention is particularly directed to an improved type of structure disclosed in my copending parent application, Serial No. 240,355,

filed November 14, 1938, of which the present,

application is a division.

lIt will be understood that the invention ernbodied in the protector units disclosed herein is capable of wide application and use in various types of systems and is not to be limited to pole cable terminals or telephone systems solely.

Broadly, the invention is directed to an improved protector unit having its parts so arranged upon a base that access to terminal posts, fuses and lightning arrestors carried thereby may be had from one end of the base when the unit is mounted upon its support, or within a box or like enclosure, in compact relation to other units whereby these said parts are readily accessible and necessary replacements or changes in circuit conditions may be conveniently and easily made.

Specifically, the invention pertains to a novel assembly of parts upon a novel type of base. The parts are so arranged upon the base that simplicity, cheapness of cost and compactness are obtained, and the unit is adapted to provide increased efficiency both asto use and protection.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection With the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top elevational View of one form of protector unit with its fuses omitted embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the fuses being included;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional View of a protector unit similar to that shown in Fig. 2, but having a coarse voltage arrestor disposed upon the terminal post in the side of the line that is unprotected if the :fuse blows, being arranged to ground through the usual lightning arrester of the unit;

Fig. 6 is a detail View showing the coarse voltage arrestors;

Fig. 7 is a top elevational view of a slightly modified form of protector unit with its fuses omitted; and

(Cl. 20G-115) Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. '7, the fuses being included.

Protector unit 9 comprisesva base 50 of insulation material adapted to carry fuses 5I between clips 52 and 53. Protector unit, as shown in Fig. l, hasv fuses 5I omitted. Fuse clips 52 are attached at one end oi each base 50 by rods 60 extending longitudinally through the base. The opposite ends of rods 60 are threaded, as indicated at 6I. Lock nuts 62 hold rods 60 in position upon base 50. The usual terminal nuts 63 and these threaded ends 6I form terminal posts 4S. Fuse clips 53, together with clips 55 of lightning arresters54,are attached to base 50 by metallic sleeves 64, which are provided with heads 65 at one end. After sleeves 64 are inserted transversely through base 50, but in different planes from those of rods 60 so as not to contact with the latter, contact clips 53 and 55 are then positioned upon the ends of sleeve 64 projecting beyond base 50, and these projecting ends of sleeve 54 are then riveted over, as indicated at 66, to lock sleeve 64 in position. The opposite lightning arrester clips 56 are also held by similar metallic sleeves 6l that are riveted over at one of their ends, as at 68. A ground contact 69, which is adapted to engage housing I, is connected through these sleeves 6l With lightning arrester clips 56 to provide an earth connection for lightning arresters 54. As will be later explained, housing I may constitute any desirable support forv terminal units 9, this depending upon the particular use made of these units, and it may be grounded as is usually customary.

Base 50 may be molded with passages for receiving rods 60 and sleeves 64 and 61, or these latter parts may be molded directly in base 50 during the molding operation. Sleeves 64 are located in base 50 to form with bolts 45 the electrical connection for one side of the circuit, say the incoming side, to one end of each fuse 5I, these bolts 45 also serving, if desired, as fastening means for each unit 9 upon mountincr4 I. Locating clips 52 and 53 in the manner shown allows the circuit to continue rearwardly of base 50 from the point of connection 64 through fuses 5I, then through rod 60 from the rear of the base to the front thereof at terminal posts 46, the term front being relative Vand dependent upon how units 9 are arranged for mounting upon support I or within an enclosure, such as a pole cable terminal disclosed in my said parent application. Rods 60 and sleeves 64 are in different planes so that electrical contact between these parts within base 50 is prevented.

Sleeves 64 may be located anywhere intermediate the ends of base 58. If fuses 5I are of the character shown herein, these sleeves may be disposed substantially closer to the front endl of base 58 so that fuses 5I extend in a general rearwardly direction to make proper connections with rods 66. The circuit is then taken back through base 58 by means of these rods 68, having their iront ends comprising terminal posts 46 which would be the customers drop wire terminals when units 9 are employed in pole cable terminals or like structures. The opposite terminal posts are designated generally as 36. l I

In so far as the present invention pertaining to the terminal unit 9 is concerned, terminal posts 36 may be of any desirable assembly. As shown -in Fig. 3, metallic members 31 are provided withA shoulders 38 and grooves 39 for receiving wires 29. Metallic members 31 arepassed through openings in an insulation plate 48 and then projected through openings in say supporting member I. Insulation sleeves 49 provided with heads 4I are thereafter slipped over metallic members 31, sleeves 48 entering the holes in wall I and the holes in insulation plate 48 in order to securely insulate sleeves 31 from the Wall I. Metallic washers 42 are then placed upon the remaining projecting ends of metallic members 31 to permit these ends to be riveted over, as indicated at 43 in Fig. 3. Heads 38 lie in a slot -Y 44 in insulation plate 48 in order to lock these parts rmly in position upon wall I when the ends of members 31 are riveted over at 43. Members 31 are internally threaded and are adapted to receive the threaded ends of fastening bolts 45. t The parts of protector units 9 are exceptionally simple and few, but they are designed to be carried lin a mounted relation that makes both sets of terminal posts 36 and 46 accessible at one end of the unit.

Itis appreciated that yprotector units have a relatively broad application, and therefore, are not to be limited in their use to pole cable terminals.

The purpose of lightning arresters 54 is Well understood to those skilled in the art. However, l if high voltages are accidentally picked up through the side of the line connected to terminal posts 46,'lightning arresters 54 afford no protection to equipment connected therein if the Y fuses should blow, because the lightning arresters range upwards from 500 volts.

are on the side of the fuses opposite the side connected to terminal posts 46. Arresters 54 may be of diierent capacities depending upon their use, but for the device in question they may Y If one or both fuses should blow, there is a complete separation between.the equipment on the side of the fuses beginning with clips 52, rods 68 and terminals 46, and the equipment on the other side of the fuse beginning with clip 53 and extending through the line connected to terminal posts 36. Consequently, any high voltage that may be induced by lightning, or directly obtainable therefrom, ory otherwise caused to exist upon the side of the line connected to terminal posts 46, is apt to remain for a time without being dissipated. It is undesirable to allow such high voltage to remain upon these parts or upon the side of the line connected to terminal posts 46 without being immediately grounded, particularly when such high voltage charges reach 2500 volts or more.4

It is herein proposed to design protectors 9 in a manner that will protect theequipment at both ends of the fuses against such high voltage charges. This may be accomplished by the use of saw-toothed blades or equivalent arresters 98, disposed upon rods 68 at the end of base 58 having fuse clips 52. The discharge edges of arresters 98 may be spaced a predetermined distance from a grounded element, such as mounting wall I, upon which the protectors are carried. If it is desirable to protect this mounting WallA I due to relative thinness against having holes burned therein in the event of a jump of high voltage from the arresters 98 to this wall I, mounting bracket may be extended to and under the discharge end of the arresters. These brackets 15 will reeniorce the side walls and admit of obtaining the proper gap for the arresters. The arrangement provides, therefore, a proper ground for higher voltages usually known as abnormal voltages that may exist upon the side of the line connected to terminal posts 46, which ground prevents these abnormal voltages from remaining any appreciable time upon the equipment connected therein and possibly cause damage as a result. Fig. 4 illustrates arresters 98 as they are mounted upon and carried by each rod 68 of protector 9. Inasmuch as the protector is shown herein with the pair of fuses and a pair of lightning arresters 54, bases 58 are each provided at their ends with a separatingvwall 99 which is adapted to lie between the arresters 98 secured at these ends to rods 68. Each base 50 has its end |88 enlarged and has separating wall 99 as a projecting n on this enlarged end so as to separate arresters 98.

However, rods 68 of each unit may have a second arrester, that can also be described as a coarse voltage arrester, disposed at the opposite end and preferably held by lock nut 62. This maybe accomplished, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, by providing arrester blades I8I, or the like, upon the front end of rod 68 which front end of rod 68 terminates in terminal posts 46. Arrester blades IUI may have saw-toothed edges |82 positioned a predetermined distance from lightning arrester block 54 to form a permanent discharge gap, whereby abnormally high voltage charges may be dissipated through the ground that is established by the carbon block of the arrester 54 and by the clip 56 connected to sleeve 61, the latter being connected to plate 69 that is suitably grounded, say for example, to mounting I. One of the advantages of this present arrangement is simplicity of construction. Only the arrester blades I8I are necessary as to material required to form this second arrester. These blades I8I are carried upon rods 68 at terminal ends 46. No additional parts are essential. Their location permits a lineman to determine whether any accumulated high voltage charges exist on the line before beginning to service the line. A conductor member, such as the pointed end of a screw driver having an insulated handle, may be used to span the blades I8I and the carbon blocks of arresters 54. If

la spark occurs and the discharge gap thus formed continues, the linemanfis immediately advised that a fault exists on the line and that the work on the line should not proceed until the trouble is located. A momentary spark indicates that a high voltage charge had accumulated but that it has dissipated itself through the ground connection formed by the-screw driver. On the other hand, it will be understood that these arresters I8I will serve practically the same purpose as arresters 98 carried at the opposite ends of rods 60, and that if there is any trouble experienced with lineman inadvertently removing arresters 54 and failing to replace them when working upon the line, both arresters 98 and may be included at the same time at opposite ends of rods 60.

Figs. 'l and 8 illustrate a slightly modified form of protector unit coming within the present disclosure. Instead of connecting the subscribers terminals 46 through rods 60 and fuses 5| before reaching lightning arresters 54, a connection between the parts upon terminal units 9 may be provided which will include bolts |08 embedded in base 50, having their outer ends serving as terminal posts 46. The inner end of each bolt |08 may be connected to a screw |01 that is transversely arranged and connected as shown at |09 to bolt |08. Lightning arresters 54 may be carried by their clips 56 and 55 in a manner previously described, the clips 56 being connected by sleeves 6l to ground plates 69 engaging mounting wall I. Extraneous currents on the side of the line connected to terminal posts 46 will be compelled to travel past lightning arresters 54 before going through fuses Consequently, these extraneous currents will be immediately grounded and the system protected irrespective of the condition of fuses 5|.

While it is not essential that coarse voltage arresters 98 and |0| be provided in the same embodiment, I have shown them, however, for the purpose of illustration, it being remembered that coarse voltage arrester 98 will serve to ground any abnormal high voltages on the side of the line connected to posts 36, and consequently, the equipment on this side of the line will always be protected no matter what the condition of fuses 5| may be.

It will be noted that the arrangements of parts upon base 50 of the protector unit herein disclosed provides protection for the equipment on both sides of the line connecting to terminal posts 36 and 46 against abnormal high voltage currents irrespective of the condition of fuses 5|, thereby assuring that should one or more of fuses 5| be blown, it will be impossible for these abnormal high voltages to remain on either side of the line without being immediately dissipated.

From the foregoing description, it will also be noted that I have provided a simple form of protector unit having the parts compactly arranged and so assembled with respect to each other as to provide a very eiiicient structure. The parts, such as the terminal posts where circuit changes may be frequently made and the parts such as the fuses and lightning arresters that require replacement, are positioned upon the mounting base in a mannen to be accessible from one end so that all said parts will be readily accessible when a number of these units are mounted in a compact arrangement upon a supporting member. Disposing rods 60 and sleeves 64 transversely with respect thereto within bases 50, as disclosed herein, permits one side of the circuit to be connected intermediate the ends of the base and the circuit brought rearwardly through fuses 5| and then forwardly again through rods 60 to the front end of the base so as to provide terminal posts, like those designated 46 and lightning arresters 54, in a very convenient and accessible location, it being noted that terminal posts 36 are likewise positioned so as to be accessible at the same end of base 50.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, bolts -9 upon support 18 as well as bolts 45 are provided to secure unit Bolts 45 serve in reality as the fastening members to hold unit 9 upon support Bolts 18 function primarily to keep the unit balanced lengthwise of itself due to its length and are not essential to the use of the unit. They may be omitted and bolts 45 alone used.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the gist of my invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adopt the same for use under varying conditions of service, without eliminating certain features, which may properly be said to constitute the essen-tial items of novelty involved, which items are intended tobe defined and secured to me by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A protector unit comprising a base of insulation material having longitudinal and transverse passages therein, conductor members in said passages, and protective devices carried upon said base in electrical relation with said conductor members, one of said transverse conductor members serving as the fastening member for said base.

2. A protector unit comprising a base of insulation material having longitudinal and transverse passages therein, conductor members in said passages, the transverse conductor being disposed relatively closer to one end of said vbase, a detachable conductor member electrically connected to said transverse conductor and extending to the opposite end of said base for electrical connection to the conductor in. the longitudinal passage in said base, and a terminal connection at the other end of said longitudinal conductor.

3. A protector unit comprising a base of insulation material, a plurality of embedded conductor members, a plurality of protective devices carried by said base and in electrical relation with said embedded conductor members, one of said embedded conductor members receiving the current intermediate the ends of said base, another of said embedded conductors carrying the current from one end to the other of said base after passing through at least one of said protective devices, and a terminal connection at said other end of said base.

4. A protector unit comprising a base of insulation material, a longitudinally embedded conductor member, a transversely embedded conductor member, a fuse between said conductor members, a lightning arrester carried at the end of said transverse conductor connecting to said fuse, a ground for said lightning arrester, and a terminal connection on said base at the end of said longitudinal conductor opposite to the end connecting to said fuse.

5. A protector unit comprising a base carrying conductor members and an electrical protective device that receive the current intermediate the ends of said base and conduct it to one end and then to the other end of said base, one of said conductors being disposed transversely and the other conductor being disposed longitudinally of said base, said electrical protective device being detachably connected between said conductors, and terminal connections at one end of each of said conductors.

6`. A protector unit of the character described comprising an insulating base, terminall posts, mountings for protective devices adapted to be carried upon said base, and means for so arranging said terminal posts and said mountlngs upon said base that the protective devices and said terminal posts are accessible from one end of said base comprising a conductor longitudinally embedded in said'. base and a second conductor transversely embeddedin said base, said conductors having their ends extending beyond said base, one end of.- each conductor being electrically connected to one of said mountings, the other end of eachcconductor terminating into one of said terminal posts.

'7. A protector unit of the character described comprising an insulating base, a pair of terminal posts, mountings for protective devices adapted to be carried by said base, vand a pair of conductors, one of which is longitudinally disposed upon said base, the other of which is transversely disposed upon said base but in insulated relation to the first conductor, one end of each conductor v being electrically connected to at least one of said mountings, the other end of each conductor terminating into one of said terminal posts.

8. A protector unit of the character described comprising-an insulating base, a pair of terminal posts, mountings for protective devices adapted to be carried by said base, and a pair of conductors, one of said conductors being longitudinally embedded in said base and extending from end to end thereof, .the other conductor being trans- .versely embedded in said base and having its ends extending to said sides thereof, one end of each conductor being electrically connected to at least one of said mountings the other end of each conductor terminating in one of said terminal posts.

9. A protector unit of the character described comprising an insulating base, a pair of terminal l' posts,- mountings for protective devices adapted to be carried `by said base, and a pair of conductors, one of said conductors being longitudinally disposed upon said base, the other conductor being transversely disposed upon said base, both said conductors having one end electrically connected to said mountings and the other end terminating in said terminal posts, said transverse conductor comprising the fastening means for securing said base upon a mounting.

10. A protector unit of the character described vcomprising anfinsulating base, a plurality of conductors embedded :in said base, one of said conductors extending the length of said base and having one end terminating in a terminal connection and the other end provided .with a fuse mounting, another of said conductors being transversely disposed within said base with one end terminating in terminal connection and the other end provided with a fuse mounting, both said fuse mountings being disposed with respect to said conductors so'as to carry a fuse lengthwise of one faceof said base.

11. A protector unit of the character described comprising an insulating base, a plurality of terminal connections, a plurality of fuse and lightning arrester mountings, and a plurality of conductors, said conductors, being embedded in said base, two of said conductors each having one end terminating in one of said terminal connection and the other end electrically connected to onev of said mountings, a third conductor being arranged for a grounded connection and connected at Aone end thereof to' another of said mountings, said conductors being mounted upon said base to carry a fuse in said mountings lengthwise of one face of said base and a lightning arrester at one end of said base.

12. A protector unit of the character described comprising an insulating base, a plurality of conductors embedded in said base, one of said conductors .being disposed lengthwise of said base and another of said conductors being disposed transversely of said base, circuit connections at one end of each of said two conductors, fuse mounting at the other end of said conductors for electrically connecting both conductors by a fuse interposed therebetween in a position extending substantially lengthwise of said base, a third conductor,'means for grounding said third conductor, and mounting means electrically connected to said transverse conductor and to said third conductorfor interposing a lightning arrester therebetween.

13. A protector unit of the character described comprising an insulating base, a plurality of conductors embedded in said base, one of said conductors being disposed lengthwise of said base and two of said conductors being disposed transversely of said base, circuit connections adapted to be connected to the ends of two of said conductors, fuse mountings connected to the opposite ends of said two conductors, and lightning arrester mountings connected to one of said two conductors and to the third conductor, and means for grounding said third conductor.

i4. A protector unit of the character described comprising an insulating base, a plurality of conductors embedded in said base, one of said conductors extending lengthwise of said base, the other of said conductors extending transversely of said base, fuse mountings connected to one end of each of said conductors for supporting a fuse therebetween, said fuse electrically connecting said conductors together, the opposite ends of said conductors adapted to be connected to line terminals, and means for grounding an abnormally high potential upon either of said conductors.

15. A protector unit of the character described comprising an insulating base, a plurality of conductors carried by said base, one of said conductors extending lengthwise of said base, the other. of said conductors extending crosswise of said base, fuse mountings at each end of said base connected to one end of each conductor, a fuse disposed substantially lengthwise of said base and supported by said mountings to connect said conductors electrically together, and a lightning arrester for said conductors adapted to ground an abnormally high potential thereupon irrespective of the presence of said fuse between its said mountings.

v JOHN S. BAKER. 

